Indoor soccer ball

ABSTRACT

This invention provides a soccer ball which may be used indoors and on dry surfaces outdoors. The ball is obtained by rolling aluminum foil into an inner spherical core of about 1 1/4 &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; in diameter and surrounding this inner core with an outer spherical core of a plastic material such as polyethylene. The diameter of the sphere formed from the outer core and the inner core is 19&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; in diameter. The outer core is covered by at least two (2) inner covers of nylon and an outer cover of a heavier material such as cotton or wool. As covers, readily available materials such as nylon, cotton, and wool stockings are used. The ball has a diameter of about 19 1/2 &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; and weighs about 2 1/2 pounds.

United States Patent [191 Galarza [451 Dec. 23, 1975 [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 370,598, June 18,

1973, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl. 273/65 E; 273/58 A [51] Int. Cl. A63B 37/02 [58] Field of Search 273/58 A, 65 E, 65 R, 60,

273/65 EC, 58 C, 106 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,815,211 12/1957 Grandinette 273/58 A 3,229,977 l/l966 Guglielmo 273/DIG. 4

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS United Kingdom 273/65 E Primary Examiner-George J. Mario [5 7] ABSTRACT This invention provides a soccer ball which may be used indoors and on dry surfaces outdoors. The ball is obtained by rolling aluminum foil into an inner spherical core of about 1% in diameter and surrounding this inner core with an outer spherical core of a plastic material such as polyethylene. The diameter of the sphere formed from the outer core and the inner core is 19" in diameter. The outer core is covered by at least two (2) inner covers of nylon and an outer cover of a heavier material such as cotton or wool. As covers, readily available materials such as nylon, cotton,

and wool stockings are used. The ball has a diameter of about 19 /2" and weighs about 2 /2 pounds.

6 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure US. Patsnt Dec. 23, 1975 INDOOR SOCCER BALL This application is a continuation'inpart application of patent application Ser. No. 370,598, filed June 18, 1973, now abandoned.

THE INVENTION This invention relates to athletic equipment. It particularly relates to a soccer ball which may be used indoors as well as on dry surfaces outdoors.

Soccer is a game played outdoors using an inflated spherically shaped ball containing an inner inflatable portion and an outer cover which may or may not be of integral construction with the inner portion. The outer portion is comprised of thick heavy leather or plastic. In the game of soccer the ball is moved around by being kicked. Since the ball is constructed of heavy and hard material, the players have to wear heavy shoes. Such shoes are unsuitable for use indoors.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a soccer ball which may be used indoors.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a soccer ball which may be used indoors which may be easily made from readily available materials.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a soccer ball for use indoors which ball can be kicked by one wearing a light shoe such as a sneaker without hurting or otherwise causing discomfort to the kicker.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an indoor soccer ball which may also be used on dry surfaces outdoors.

The soccer ball of the present invention comprises an inner spherically shaped core of aluminum, an outer spherically shaped core of a light, soft plastic or resilient material, at least two inner covers of a thin knitted material fitted around the spherically shaped core, and an outer cover of a heavier material.

The aluminum core may be a rigid hollow sphere or a solid. Preferably, the core is formed of aluminum foil which has been rolled into a substantially solid sphere.

Suitable light soft plastic or resilient materials include nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylalcohol, polyvinylchloride, polyvinylpyrrolidone, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, polyurethane, and the like. In practice, I prefer to use polyethylene.

The thin knitted material to cover the outer core is preferably made of nylon of the thickness used in women's stockings, about 40 denier.

As the outer cover I use a heavier knitted material such as cotton or wool.

The soccer ball of the present invention is made by forming aluminum foil into a spherical inner core about I to 1%" in diameter and then forming around this inner core a light soft plastic or resilient material into a spherical outer core so that the diameter of the sphere formed of both inner and outer cores is about 19" in diameter. The core is inserted into a thin knitted fabric tubular in shape, which fabric is then shaped around and secured to the core. Excess fabric is removed by cutting. A second layer of the fabric is applied in the same manner. These layers are secured to the core by gluing or sewing. The core covered with at least two layers of the thin knitted fabric is then inserted into a tubularly shaped heavier material which is fitted and secured thereto.

EXAMPLE Aluminum foil is formed into a substantially solid, spherically shaped inner core about l-%" in diameter. Around this inner core polyethylene sheeting is formed into a spherically shaped outer core about 19" in diameter. Inch wide masking tape is placed around the outer core until it is properly shaped. This sphere serves as the core of the soccer ball.

The core is stuffed into a nylon stocking which is tied at the bottom with nylon string keeping the ball in the middle of the stocking. The foot of the stocking is then I cut off leaving a flap of about l-%" of material which is turned over and sewed to the core forming a smooth cover. The other end of the nylon stocking is then twisted and tied with nylon string. The covered core is then pushed through the opposite end of the stocking so that the core is covered by two layers of stocking. The ball is pushed once again into the open end of the stocking and the stocking is then sewn to the core to lie flat and encase the ball evenly.

The steps are then repeated with a second stocking, but this time the core is inserted in the direction opposite to what it was previously inserted.

The outer cover is applied by inserting the covered core into a heavy cotton stocking, using the same procedure as is described above with the nylon stocking inner cover. The outer cover is shaped around the covered core and sewn to it.

To provide color to the soccer ball the outer cover may be made of colored material, or strips of colored material may be sewn to the ball.

The indoor soccer ball made according to the example is about 19-%" in diameter and weighs about 2- /2 pounds.

Instead of cotton, the outer cover may be made of wool, plastic or leather.

The ball can be used by players wearing soft shoes such as sneakers or being barefooted.

I claim:

1. A soccer ball for use indoors comprising:

a. an inner substantially solid spherical core of aluminum foil,

b. an outer spherical core of a light, soft plastic material around the inner core,

c. at least two inner covers over the outer core, said covers being composed of a thin knitted material, and

d. an outer cover of a heaviermaterial selected from wool. cotton, or leather.

2. A soccer ball according to claim I wherein the inner core is about 1 to lin diameter.

3. A soccer ball according to claim 2 wherein the light soft plastic material is polyethylene.

4. A soccer ball according to claim 3 wherein the combined diameter of the inner core and outer core is about 19'.

inner covers are nylon.

6. A soccer ball according to outer cover is cotton;-

claim 5 wherein the 

1. A SOCCER ALL FOR USE INDOORS COMPRISING: A. AN INNER SUBSTANTIALLY SOLID SPHERICAL CORE OF ALUMINUM FOIL, B. AN OUTER SPHERICAL CORE OF A LIGHT, SOFT PLASTIC MATERIAL AROUND THE INNER CORE, C. AT LEAST TOW INNER COVER THE OUTER CORE, SAID COVERS BEING COMPOSED OF A THIN KNITTED MATERIAL SELECTED FROM WOOL, D. AN OUTER COVER OF A HEAVIER MATERIAL SELECTED FROM WOOL, COTTON, OR LEATHER.
 2. A soccer ball according to claim 1 wherein the inner core is about 1'''' to 1- 1/2 '''' in diameter.
 3. A soccer ball according to claim 2 wherein the light soft plastic material is polyethylene.
 4. A soccer ball according to claim 3 wherein the combined diameter of the inner core and outer core is about 19''''.
 5. A soccer ball according to claim 4 wherein the inner covers are nylon.
 6. A soccer ball according to claim 5 wherein the outer cover is cotton. 